ubuntu – (Nguni or Xhosa, in South Africa:) a difficult word to translate. In rough terms, humanity, not as an individual as defined by one’s interrelationships. The principle of caring for each other’s well-being and a spirit of mutual support”. Zulu maxim – umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu – “I am what I am because of you.”

UFO (knitting) – unfinished object; a project languishing while you work on other projects

ukulele – a small four-stringed guitar popularized in Hawaii [‘uku, flea + lele, jumping. So called from the rapid motion of the fingers in playing it.]

Ullage – the amount that a container (a bottle, cask, tank, etc.) falls short of being full; also, the amount lost by leakage, evaporation, etc. in shipping or storage

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Ultima Thule – a distant territory or destination; a remote goal or ideal (‘Thule’ pronounced as two syllables)

ultra-crepidarian – giving opinions on topics beyond one’s knowledge. From Latin “beyond the sole”. After the tale of shoemaker who criticized the way an artist had drawn part of a sandal. When the artist then corrected the error, the emboldened shoemaker went on to disparage how the legs were painted. To which the artist snapped “Ne supra crepidam judicaret,” or “Let him not criticize above the sole.” (crepida = sole or sandal) In other words, the cobbler was qualified to judge footwear but only footwear. In effect, the word means, “Shoemaker, stick to thy last.”

ululate (UL-u-late) – to howl or wail, like a dog or a wolf. adj. ululant

umbra – complete shadow (with blockage of every part of every light source)

umbrage – offense or resentment at a slight or insult

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umbrage (adj. umbrageous) – shadow or shade; or something that provides it (also, a vague indication, a hint) see also other definition here)

umbrella (etymology) – at root, a device to protect from sun, not from rain. (Latin “umbra” = shade)

umiak – a large eskimo boat (woman’s boat?)

umlaut – 1. a pronunciation, common in German, where a, o, or u (which are normally “back vowels” pronounced at the back of the mouth) are brought more to the front (like the “front vowels” e and i). 2. The two-dot symbol that German uses to show this pronunciation, as ä, ö, or ü. (English uses this symbol for other purposes; see diaresis. German sometimes indicates the umlaut sound-change by putting an ‘e’ after the a, o, or u (Goethe).)

underwrite – to assume risk, as when offering an insurance policy or bringing a corporation’s new securities issue to the public. (underwriter – one who buys a stock or bond issue from a company, to resell it to investors.)

unit bias – the tendency to think that a unit of some entity is the appropriate and optimal amount

unlawful combatant – see illegal combatant

Unremitting – never relaxing or slackening; persistent

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Unwieldy – Difficult to use or handle or manage because of size or weight or shape. “we set about towing the unwieldy structure into the shelter”; “almost dropped the unwieldy parcel”. Difficult to work or manipulate. “unwieldy rules and regulations”. Lacking grace in movement or posture. “heaved his unwieldy figure out of his chair”

up-do – a style of dressing women’s hair by sweeping it up and securing it away from the face and neck

Upland trout – a mythical fish which is such so delicious a pan fish that tenderfeet are often sent into the woods to catch them. However, the upland trout is extremely difficult to catch, because it nests in trees. <wink>

Ursprache – a language that is the ancestor of another or of a group of languages

ushabti – see shabti

uti possidetis – the principle that unless otherwise stated: 1. upon a peace treaty, each belligerent keeps the captured territories then holds 2. when a political subdivision becomes achieves independence, its keeps the same boundaries it previously had.

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Utopia – toponym: an imagined perfect place

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uvula – the thing that hangs down from the back of the mouth (which children invariably think is a tonsil)

uxoravalent – capable of sex only those other than one’s wife (contrast uxorovalent)